DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from the applicant's narrative) The laboratory core is designed to support the five projects (mainly Projects 1-4) by satisfying their needs for the biochemical and physiological measurements needed to identify their intermediate phenotypes. The wide range of assays provided are germane to salt-sensitive hypertension, the renin- angiotensin-aldosterone axis, the kallikrein-kinin system, nitric oxide assessment of the determinants of hypertension, renal perfusion and sodium homeostasis. All of the techniques and assays described in the core are in current active use in the laboratories encompassed by the core, and the professional and laboratory personnel already interact in filling their roles. The core structure results in cost savings through economy of scale and more efficient resource allocation, improves quality control and facilitates collaboration. Additional advantages include reduced turnaround time on assays and more efficient adaptation as new demands arise.